Braking mechanism for skis

ABSTRACT

A braking mechanism to prevent runaway skis. At least one braking member is bent to an L-shape, one leg in the at-rest position lying parallel to the lengthwise extent of the ski and the other leg being pivotally positioned crosswise of the ski. The crosswise positioned portion is in effect threaded, as by twisting a bar of rectangular cross section, and is supported in a guide member such that pivotal movement of said L-members around said crosswise positioned leg will effect outward movement thereof. Resilient means are placed against said crosswise member to continually urge such movement. The longitudinally aligned member is normally held on the surface of the ski by the boot or ski binding, but when released it moves outwardly in response to the resilient means and as a result rotates and moves said first named leg beyond the adjacent edge of the ski and into its braking position. Though above-described as a single braking device, same are preferably provided in pairs with the legs aligned lengthwise of the ski adjacent the opposite edges thereof. Modification in the details of the mounting actuating mechanisms are also shown.

United States Patent [191 Weigl [451 Dec. 9, 1975 1 BRAKING MECHANISM FOR SKIS [75] Inventor: Erwin Weigl, Brunn am Gebirge,

Austria [73] Assignee: Gertsch AG, Zug, Switzerland [22] Filed: July 2, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 485,247

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 6, 1973 Austria 5994/73 [52] US. Cl 280/1113 B [51] Int. (31. A63C 7/10 [58] Field Of Search 280/11.13 B, 11.13 C, 11.13 D,280/11.13 Z, 11.37 G

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,120,363 6/1938 Jerns, Jr 280/1 1.13 C 3,048,418 8/1962 Gertsch..... 280/11.13 B 3,083,028 3/1963 Miller 280/11.13 B 3,433,494 3/1969 Hinterholzer 280/1 1.13 B 3,724,867 4/1973 Hawthorne 280/11.l3 C 3,741,575 6/1973 Bortoli 280/11.13 B

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 845,419 5/1939 France 280/1 1.13 B 443,499 4/1927 Germany.... 280/1 1.13 B l,111,076 7/1961 Germany.... 280/1l.l3 B 1,200,182 9/1965 Germany 280/11.13 B

Primary Examiner-Leo Friaglia Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [57] ABSTRACT A braking mechanism to prevent runaway skis. At

= least one braking member is bent to an L-shape, one

leg in the at-rest position lying parallel to the lengthwise extent of the ski and the other leg being pivotally positioned crosswise of -the :ski. The crosswise positioned portion is in effect threaded, as by twisting a bar of rectangular cross section, and is supported in a guide member such that pivotal movement of said L- members around said crosswise positioned leg will effect outward movement thereof. Resilient means are placed against said crosswise member to continually urge such movement. The longitudinally aligned member is normally held on the surface of the ski by the boot or ski binding, but when released it moves outwardly in response to the resilient means and as a result rotates and moves said first named leg beyond the adjacent edge of the ski and into its braking position. Though above-described as a single braking device, same are preferably provided in pairs with the legs aligned lengthwise of the ski adjacent the opposite edges thereof. Modification in the details of the mounting actuating mechanisms are also shown.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975. Sheet-1 of 3 3,924,864

' FIG! US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 2 0f 3 US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,924,864

FIG.6

BRAKING MECHANISM FOR SKIS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a braking mechanism for skis, in which in the binding area there is provided at least one lever or the like which can be swung by spring force under the running surface of the ski and which lever cooperates directly with the boot so that the lever, when the boot is in the binding, is above the area of the running surface and, upon release of the boot from the ski, further travel of the ski is prevented by movement of the lever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Braking mechanisms for skis are known in various types of construction, which are used to stop a ski which has escaped from the ski boot during a fall or the like and to thus prevent further travel of the ski. Most of these devices are constructed in such a manner that the brake device is held during skiing by the ski boot or a ski binding part and released upon a release of the boot from the ski. In most conventional braking mecha nisms, the brake device is spring-loaded, so that, after the release has occurred, the brake device becomes automatically effective. This in most cases also causes an urging of the brake part into the snow. This provision is of great importance particularly in the case of icy hills.

Further, it is also known to construct such mechanisms in a simple or in a symmetrical manner. The symmetrical construction has the advantage over a simple construction that the braking effect occurs on both sides of the ski which, on the one hand, causes the braking effect itself to be greater and, on the other hand, it prevents more certainly the runaway travel of the released ski.

A braking mechanism similar to the invention is, for example, described in German Auslegeschrift No. l 200 182. However, this known design has the disadvantage that the brake portion of the brake mechanism is positioned in its locking or nonuse position laterally of the ski and with a forwardly extending leg. This disadvantageously increases the width of the ski. Furthermore, the forwardly extending leg arm represents an additional resistance. Also the fact that such leg extends forwardly in rest position has further dangers.

Another device for stopping the ski by means of a brake lever is described in German Auslegeschrift No. 1 l l l 076. In this device, the swingable brake lever, the pivotal axis of which is arranged downwardly sloping and lengthwise of a side of and on the upper surface of the ski is maintained in its ineffective position by means of a holding member controlled by the releasable ski binding, for example by a shoulder mounted on the brake lever and engaging under the releasable foot plate. The brake lever is thereby constructed in a conventional manner as a wide shovel which stands crosswise to the ski in its active position.

This design has the disadvantage that both the shovel which is used as a brake lever, and also the pivot rod on which it pivots, project from the ski plane, whereby the pivot rod maintains this position after the braking takes place. This position is undesirable because of the danger of injury, in particular, because the pivot rod remains inclined with respect to the ski surface after the braking occurs.

A different braking mechanism having a two-part braking jaw is known from U. S. Pat. No. 3,433,494.

This braking jaw lies below the ski boot in both the locking and the use positions. Upon release of the ski from the ski boot, the brake is swung below the running surface of the ski into the braking position. The disadvantage of this mechanism consists in that the braking mechanism projects beyond the profile of the ski in the nonuse position and thus can hinder the skier during skiing.

The object of the invention is to design a braking mechanism of the type mentioned above, in which the mentioned disadvantages are: avoided. Further the braking mechanism of the invention effects an additional lateral movement during its penetrating into the snow, to thus achieve a good braking effect even with relatively narrow legs.

Accoording to the invention this object is achieved by providing the lever as a rectangularly bent bar, the lateral arm of which, comprising a leg, extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ski, said leg having an inclined surface on its free end, wherein the arm which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ski has a polygonal cross section, preferably a square or hexagon, which is held in a guide corresponding to the cross section used and can be moved in such guide outwardly from its rest or nonuse position into the braking position.

A brake is provided through the braking mechanism of the invention which in the nonuse condition or in its locking position lies effectively in the area of the ski surface and only in the position of use does its legs rest outside of the ski, namely, when such does not create any disadvantage. This is then the braking position. The mechanism can be manufactured of simple parts and can be installed into existing ski bindings of any type at a later time subsequent to the manufacture thereof.

An advantageous embodiment of the braking mechanism of the invention consists in that the inner edge of the bar is spaced from the ski :side at a distance which is smaller than the path covered due to a twisting of the bar in transverse direction. This measure assures that the leg (or in the case of a symmetric arrangement the legs) rest within the ski and after the lateral moving out the desired effect still occurs.

According to a further thought of the invention the outer edge of the bar lies in the locking position of the same within the ski. This measure also achieves the intended object, namely to use as much as possible a resistance-free braking mechanism.

According to a further inventive characteristic, the angle which the bar describes from its locking or nonuse position into the braking position lies between 210 and 270, preferably between 225 and 240. This assures that the leg of the bar can penetrate into the snow in any case. To this contributes the already mentioned characteristic according to which the end of the leg is sloped.

According to a further characteristic of the invention, the leg or the lateral arm of the bar is held in the locking position by means of a locking mechanism which is movable transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ski, which locking; mechanism has a lock which cooperates with the leg or the legs, which lock or locks is or are arranged on a locking member and can be moved from the locking position into the position of use or can again be held in the locking position by means of an operating lever. In this manner, a particularly simple operable locking mechanism for the brake is created. The operating lever projects, in such arrangement, only slightly beyond the side edge of the ski for the release and also only beyond the upper side of the ski-; the operating lever projects in the position of use on the opposite side practically with the same degree and in the already described manner from the ski profile.

In order to overcome this unimportant projecting, it is possible according to a further characteristic of the invention for the locking mechanism to have a disk which can be supported rotatably on a holding pin, on which disk the one end of a locking arm or the ends of two locking arms is or are hingedly supported for two legs of the bar, and the locking arm or locking arms have each one longitudinal slot which is or are guided on guide elements, for example screws, which are fixedly inserted into the ski and the ends are constructed as locks. This construction has the advantage that in the nonuse or locking position no part of the braking mechanism extends outside of the ski surface. Of course, in this case one must be willing to accept slightly higher costs.

According to a still further inventive thought, two bars can be provided which are arranged with their angular arms on the ski in the longitudinal direction thereof one behind the other and are each biased advantageously by separate springs. This arrangement permits slightly simpler constructions of the springloaded angular arms or their guides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be discussed more in detail in connection with the drawings which illustrate exemplary embodiments.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a side view of the inventive braking mechanism having a bar which is in locking position,

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a top view as in FIG. 2 but with a released bar in braking position,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the locking mechanism according to the line IVIV of FIG. 3,

FIG. is a top view of a different embodiment of the locking mechanism, the further details of the inventive braking mechanism not being shown, and

FIG. 6 is a different arrangement of the inventive braking mechanism with bars which are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the ski.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the first exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4, the inventive braking mechanism is arranged on the ski 1 below the ski boot 2 which is indicated only by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 1. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the braking mechanism has two bars 3 which are bent at a right angle, whereby the lateral ann which comprises the leg 5 extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ski and the arm 4 which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ski comprises a twisted bar of square cross section. The open end of the leg 5 has an inclined surface 5a. This inclined surface 5a is used to permit the bar 2 to easily penetrate into the snow and, on the other hand, to prevent in the position of use, namely when the bar 3 is held only by the ski boot 2, the end of the bar 5 from penetrating into the heel of the ski boot 2. The square arm 4 is positioned with its inner end in holding means 6 which is biased at both ends by a spring 8. The arm 4 is guided on its outer por tion by holding means 7 which here comprises a guide. The cross section of the guide 7 corresponds to the cross section used for the arm. Any desired polygon may be used; however, a square or hexagon has proven to be particularly advantageous because they can be obtained as prefabricated stock.

The bar 3 is supported in a housing 10, which rests on a plate 9 which is secured on the ski by means of screws 10a. In the locking zone of the bar 3 approximately in its central zone there is provided a locking mechanism which extends transversely of the longitudinal direction of the ski. Same consists, according to FIGS. 2 to 3, of a locking member or arm 12, which has one lock 13 or 14 each in the zone of the legs 5. An operating lever 15 is provided on the left side of the ski, as seen in longitudinal direction which operating lever projects slightly over the edge of the ski 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the braking mechanism in braking position. In order to arrive from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the postion shown in FIG. 3, first the ski boot 2 is placed into the ski binding (not illustrated). Then the operating lever 15 of the locking mechanism is moved from the left to the right (upwardly in FIG. 2), which causes the bar 3 to change from the locking position into the ready position (broken lines 3A generally parallel to the ski in FIG. 1). If the skier now falls and the ski boot 2 is released from the ski 1, the ski boot 2 releases the bar 3 which then causes the helical coil compression spring 8 to exert its action onto the two legs 5. Since the cross section of the guide 7 is substantially identical with the cross section of the arm 4, the two arms respond to the spring 8 and move simultaneously in lateral direction outwardly and effect also rotation of the legs 5 forwardly. The final position is illustrated in FIG. 3 The corresponding side view is indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 1. The position of the legs 5 in the ready position is also indicated in this figure also in dash-dotted lines.

FIG. 4 illustrates in cross section the locking mecha-.

nism and is presented solely for a better understanding of the structure of this mechanism.

FIG. 5 illustrates a different locking mechanism in which no part projects beyond the sides of the ski. The locking mechanism consists herein of a disk 16 which is rotatably supported on a locking pin 17 and on which the ends of the two locking arms 12 are supported each on one joint 18. The two locking arms 12 have longitudinal slots 19 which are guided in screws 20 which are fixedly inserted in the ski 2 and comprise guide elements. The ends of the two locking arms 12' include locks 13' or 14. The operating lever 15 is secured on the disk 16. It is also possible to make the operating lever 15 integral with the disk 16. The operating lever 15 can be moved manually in the direction of the arrow 23 from the position 21 (closed position) into the position 22 (open position) or vice versa. The remaining operation of the braking mechanism corresponds to the one which has already been discussed.

FIG. 6 illustrates a different embodiment or arrangement of the brake parts. Here two legs 3,3 are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the ski. Both legs 3,3 have cross arms 4,4 and legs 5 or 5 and two separate springs 8 or 8 and their guide parts 6 or 6 and 7 or 7'. The locking mechanism and the operation and the mode of action can be designed as above described.

The invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. Various further constructions can be used, without departing thereby from the scope of protection of the thought of the invention. For example, only one single bar could be used. Even in the case of an equal-axial arrangement of the cross arms, two separate springs can be used. Also the first exemplary embodiment of the locking mechansim can be such that no part projects beyond the side edge of the ski, when the locks are arranged in continuation of the two legs and movable in longitudinal direction with respect to same. Of course separate. operating means for the two legs will be necessary in this case.

I claim:

1. A braking mechanism for a ski provided with a releasable binding comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the upper surface of the ski in the vicinity of the binding and adapted to be held against movement when a boot is held in the binding and to be pivoted downwardly into engagement with the surface supporting the ski when the boot is released to prevent further travel of the ski, said lever comprising a two-arm bar having one arm which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said ski and a transverse arm which extends transversely to said longitudinal axis of said ski, said transverse arm having a twisted polygonal cross section, a guide for holding said twisted polygonal cross section of said transverse arm and having an opening therethrough corresponding in cross section to the cross section of said polygonal cross section so that an outward movement of said transverse arm through said opening will effect a pivoting movement of said twoarm bar and resilient means for urging said two-arm bar outwardly from an at rest position and pivoted into a braking position.

2. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an inner edge of said bar is spaced from a side of said ski at a distance which is smaller than the path covered by said outward movement of said two arm bar in transverse direction due to said pivoting of said bar through 180.

3. A braking mechanism according to claim 2, wherein an outer edge of said bar lies in said at rest position on the upper surface of said ski.

4. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the angle through which said bar pivots be tween its at rest position and its braking position is in the range of 210 and 270.

5. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said one arm of said bar is held in said at rest position by means of a locking mechanism which is movable transversely to said longitudinal axis of said ski, said locking mechanism having a lock cooperating with said one arm, which lock is arranged on a movable locking member and movable from the locking position between a position of use and. said at rest position and an operating lever for moving said locking member between said positions.

6. A braking mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said locking mechanism includes a disk rotatably supported on a holding pin, said disk having one end of at least one locking arm. hingedly supported, said locking arm having a longitudinal slot which is guided on guide elements which are fixedly inserted into said ski and the end of said locking arm defines a lock and wherein said operating lever is secured on said disk.

7. A braking mechanism according to claim 6, wherein two locking arms are hingedly supported on said disk.

8. A braking mechanism according to claim 1 including two two-armed bars which. are arranged on said ski one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of said ski and are springloaded by separate springs.

9. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the angle through which said bar pivots between its at rest position and its braking position is in the range of 225 and 240.

10. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said one arm has an inclined surface on its free end. 

1. A braking mechanism for a ski provided with a releasable binding comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the upper surface of the ski in the vicinity of the binding and adapted to be held against movement when a boot is held in the binding and to be pivoted downwardly into engagement with the surface supporting the ski when the boot is released to prevent further travel of the ski, said lever comprising a two-arm bar having one arm which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said ski and a transverse arm which extends transversely to said longitudinal axis of said ski, said transverse arm having a twisted polygonal cross section, a guide for holding said twisted polygonal cross section of said transverse arm and having an opening therethrough corresponding in cross section to the cross section of said polygonal cross section so that an outward movement of said transverse arm through said opening will effect a pivoting movement of said two-arm bar and resilient means for urging said two-arm bar outwardly from an at rest position and pivoted into a braking position.
 2. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an inner edge of said bar is spaced from a side of said ski at a distance which is smaller than the path covered by said outward movement of said two arm bar in transverse direction due to said pivoting of said bar through 180*.
 3. A braking mechanism according to claim 2, wherein an outer edge of said bar lies in said at rest position on the upper surface of said ski.
 4. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the angle through which said bar pivots between its at rest position and its braking position is in the range of 210* and 270*.
 5. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said one arm of said bar is held in said at rest position by means of a locking mechanism which is movable transversely to said longitudinal axis of said ski, said locking mechanism having a lock cooperating with said one arm, which lock is arranged on a movable locking member and movable from the locking position between a position of use and said at rest position and an operating lever for moving said locking member between said positions.
 6. A braking mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said locking mechanism includes a disk rotatably supported on a holding pin, said disk having one end of at least one locking arm hingedly supported, said locking arm having a longitudinal slot which is guided on guide elements which are fixedly inserted into said ski and the end of said locking arm defines a lock and wherein said operating lever is secured on said disk.
 7. A braking mechanism according to claim 6, wherein two locking arms are hingedly supported on said disk.
 8. A braking mechanism according to claim 1 including two two-armed bars which are arranged on said ski one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of said ski and are spring- loaded by separate springs.
 9. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the angle through which said bar pivots between its at rest position and its braking position is in the range of 225* and 240*.
 10. A braking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said one arm has an inclined surface on its free end. 